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News

Arrest Made in Murder of Homeless Man who was Lit on Fire

By  Zach Behrens
Published Jan 22, 2009 11:00 PM
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Benjamin Mathew Martin, 30, was arrested today out in Riverside County by LAPD detectives for the October 9th brutal murder of John Robert McGraham, a homeless man who resided on West 3rd Street. McGraham was doused in an accelerant--probably gasoline--and then lit on fire. Martin is suspected of leaving behind a red plastic gasoline container, which was a key piece of forensic evidence, announced police this afternoon.

McGraham was considered a peaceful man who became a consistent presence and part of the neighborhood's fabric over the years he spent on the 3500 block of West 3rd St. "The news media, reaching millions of people, ran with the story, and America’s Most Wanted television program took the story to the people on a nationwide level," said the LAPD. "Through television, print, radio and the Internet, the word got out, and the LAPD received numerous tips and leads."

Photo by CarbonNYC via Flickr

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